The present inventions relates generally to apparatus for use in removing solid or liquid particulates from an air stream. More particularly, the present invention relates to a paint spraybooth facility having a wet scrubbing apparatus to remove paint particulate from the air exhaust stream exiting the spraybooth.
It is well known within the paint industry that automobiles and other mass produced articles may be painted in a spraybooth through which the articles are conveyed and which house the paint spraying equipment. It is essential in the operation of such paint spraybooth facilities that a proper supply of fresh air be maintained and that paint overspray be properly removed from the spraybooth by means of an air exhaust system. As a result, the air exiting the paint spraybooth facility is laden with paint particulate which must be eliminated from the air exhaust stream prior to discharge to the ambient environment.
It is also well known in the paint industry that paint particulate may be effectively removed from the spraybooth facility air exhaust through the use of wet scrubbing apparatus. These wet scrubbing systems typically draw air from the paint application chamber into water flooded continuous slots or discrete discharge tubes disposed in the floor of the paint application chamber. In conventional systems, the water is at least partially disbursed or atomized within the slots or discharge tubes and thereby intimately mixed with the paint-laden air to remove or scrub the paint particulate from the air.
A variety of different wet scrubbing systems have been proposed in recent years for use in combination with paint spraybooth facilities. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,270 issued to Donahue; U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,025 issued to Sampey; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,952 issued to Johnson et al. While each of these prior art systems is generally satisfactory in removing paint overspray from the air exiting the application chamber of the spraybooth facilities, they nevertheless suffer from disadvantages which continue to trouble the paint finishing industry. For example, paint spraybooths are notoriously noisy thereby posing potential environmental and occupational safety hazards to those working within the facilities. In addition, there is a continuing need to reduce the energy requirements and material requirements, particularly water consumption, necessary for the proper operation of the equipment.